The 49ers won’t fly home after today’s game in Dallas. Instead, they’ll immediately begin preparation for next Sunday night’s game in Mexico City.
The team plane will fly to Colorado Springs tonight, as coach Kyle Shanahan believes spending a week at altitude will help the 49ers’ chances against the Vikings next week at Estadio Azteca, the highest stadium the NFL ever plays in.
“I think it helps,” Shanahan said. “I grew up mainly in Denver, and I know how bad it would be for me. No matter how good of shape you’re in, you come home from college and you run up the stairs and you’re out of breath. It takes some time to get used to altitude. I know when you go to play in Denver it’s always a challenge, and Mexico City is higher than Denver. It’s not make or break, but I do think it makes you a couple percent better.”
Shanahan thanked Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun for allowing the 49ers to use his team’s practice facility in Colorado Springs, as he did before the 49ers’ Mexico City game in 2022. Air Force’s Falcon Stadium is at 6,621 feet. Estadio Azteca has an altitude of 7,280 feet — exactly 2,000 feet higher than Denver’s Mile High elevation.
Next Sunday night will be the 49ers’ second international game of the season. They opened the season in Australia, where their decision to arrive a week early to get used to the time difference was credited as one of the reasons for their impressive performance against the Rams. Now they hope another weeklong preparation will yield similar results.